A judge ordered the Detroit school board and attorneys for emergency financial manager Roy Roberts back to court next month after the two sides failed to present the court with a compromise today on how to share authority.

School board president LaMar Lemmons said board members had hoped for a decision today in connection with the board’s duties. The board wants the superintendent it hired, John Telford, to be able to supervise and hire administrators, among other powers.

“We thought our attorneys came to some agreements,” Lemmons said.

John Pirich, attorney for Roberts, told Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Annette Berry the two sides had agreed that the school board will be able to meet twice a month. Roberts also agreed to pay attorneys’ fees in connection with the lawsuit, he said.

But other issues remained unresolved.

Hugh (Buck) Davis, attorney for the school board, said attorneys had met once and spoken over the phone several times since last month.

The hearing was over a lawsuit Roberts filed in August in an unsuccessful attempt to get the court to stop the board from making decisions.

At a hearing last month, the judge instructed both parties to meet to resolve their issues so that she could assist in sorting out their disputes today. The board has control over academic operations, while Roberts has authority over the budget. For months, the two sides have sparred over what that means.

Roberts, who has had control over the DPS budget since May 2011, has said he fears the board will harm the district’s students and finances by undoing some of his decisions.

Time is running out for the school board. A new emergency manager law takes effect March 27. The school board will continue to exist, but it will have no authority over the budget or academic operations.

A board meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m. today at the Detroit Public Library’s main branch at 5200 Woodward Ave.